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Mizzou makes the move to the SEC

By on November 7, 2011 in Columbia, Pop Culture

I don’t know about you, but I am tired of hearing about Mizzou trying desperately to leave the Big 12.  But, it is finally official.  So congratulations, you have just ended one of the longest running college rivalries with Kansas and are leaving a conference you have been a part of since 1907 to join the SEC on July 1, 2012.  Reason, “stability.” 

I think this is a terrible decision and incredibly unstable.   I am not a huge Mizzou fan and I am not trying to be unkind, but I don’t think they will be competitive in this conference.  Not to mention, they will have to pay a ton of money just to leave the Big 12 and then will have to spend even more money to upgrade their facilities to even come close to the teams in their new conference.  So let me recap, they will spend an estimated $20-30 million in a buyout with the Big 12, spend possibly hundreds of millions to upgrade facilities – which they will have to begin fundraising for, and burn all bridges with former conference-mates in order to make, maybe, $10 million more a year.  Worth it, I think not. 

Lastly, if any Mizzou fans are upset that Kansas is declining further non-conference play, I think this analogy sums it up:

“My feeling is this,” Kim Mulkey (Baylor Womens Basketball Coach) said Wednesday during the Big 12′s media day. “If a man wants to divorce me and says our relationship has no value to him, and then he asks me if he can sleep with me, the answer is, ‘No!’ “

I do wish them luck and certainly hope that this was the right decision.  How do Mizzou fans feel about this move?

 

Quote from Espn.com
Photo courtesy of 810whb.com
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My favorite websites-funky shopping edition

By on July 18, 2011 in Columbia, North County, Retail Therapy

As you may be aware from previous posts I pretty much exclusively shop online.  I can’t help it, you can find anything and I don’t like to go to crowded places.  As a demographic typical shoppers just freak me out.  I find mall food courts to be among the most stressful places on earth and I always pick the slowest line at Target.  Well, it’s time for this die hard online shopper to start Christmas shopping, that’s right, my goal is to be over 90% done by October 31st and it starts this weekend.

I love buying people gifts that they laugh at, but will use, or things that they just would never buy for themselves (such as these bad boys that will be making their way onto my shopping list again this year.)  In a previous post I’ve mentioned some of my favorite website for shopping but those were some traditional run of the mill item sites.  Check out these sites for funky gifts for anyone on your list.

1. Junk Food Clothing  One thing I really love about this site is that they do one thing really well and don’t try to sell everything.  This is where you go for any t-shirt connoisseur.  You may recognize some of their kids designs from Gap Kids collections.  The shirts are on the pricey side for t-shits but they are really good quality and very unique.

2. JBox Ok, for just a moment I will let my geek flag fly and say that I love cool stuff from Japan.  I love the pure silliness of some of their stuff.  This site has some of that stuff and some handy stuff too.  Know someone who brings their lunch to work every day?  Get them a Bento Box for a unique way to carry lunch.  And they have training chopsticks, how awesome is that???

3. TVstore Online Who doesn’t need a Borat mankini??  Not you?  Well they have so much other stuff from nearly every popular TV show.  You can find some really unique gifts like the above mentions mankini or a full body spandex suit or any one of Sheldon’s cool t-shirts.

4.  Perpetual Kid  Last but not least is one of my favorites.  This site has way too much awesomely amazing stuff to even explain.  You simply must click on it to devour the delicious awesomeness that is Perpetual Kid.  I really really want the lickty spoon!!!! (Pictured Above)

Have I missed some awesomeness for crazy gifts somewhere out there on the web, I’d love to hear about it if I have :)

Photo courtesy of: Perpetual Kid
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$1.6 Million Mizzou Basketball Club

By on June 22, 2011 in Columbia, Pop Culture

MU crowdThe thought comes to mind….Are they *&^*$%^ Crazy?  Maybe it is too soon to tell or maybe it’s way too late to tell!?!

Mizzou announced that new basketball coach Frank Haith will be paid $1.6 million to coach our MU Tiger Basketball Club. 

Here are my concerns.  He is barely over .500 including 43-69 in Atlantic Coast Conference Play with only 1 NCAA tourney appearance.  He will now be 12th on the list of highest paid coaches.  Can you say pressure cooker?

Here is my advice (maybe I should have spoken earlier).  So, when his contract is up in 2016 and the MU record is dismal as best (I hope I am wrong – I certainly want him to succeed but I think this is too much pressure for him), think along the lines of the Butler team.  Their amazing, highly successful, winning coach, Brad Stevens, started as an assistant and worked his way up, likely starting at a low salary.  He probably needed and had more love for the game, his job, and his team than any coach who needs to start at such a high salary before proving anything.  He worked to prove he deserved to be compensated based on performance.  It is also something special for a team and fans to see his type of passion while he coaches (you can’t buy that)! 

I am always much more in awe of teams (and for that matter companies) who look for people who will work their tail off- not because of money but because of Love of their Team or Sport (or company/project), to win and make things happen.  I think they also need to find a coach who has the B.L.O.G. (that I spoke of in a recent post) they are in desperate need of. 

Just my opinion.  What are your thoughts?

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Some information gathered from MU Tigers and The Columbia Tribune.
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Summer Blockbusters are breaking the bank!!!

By on June 16, 2011 in Carbondale, Central St. Louis County, Columbia, Edwardsville, Movies, North County, South County, St. Louis City

We are a movie family, we watch trailer and review shows (Film State is highly recommended).  Movie watching is taken very seriously, dimmer lights in the family room, popcorn every time; we go all out.  We LOVE to take the kids to the movie theater for the big summer blockbusters.

This past weekend Super 8 opened up.  Produced by Steven Spielberg, written and directed by J.J. Abrams, this movie was billed as being the Goonies of a new generation.  While it was no Goonies, it still didn’t disappoint, as funny as it was scary and the kids loved it.

The issue is, looking at all the posters and watching the previews we realized just how many movies have just come out or are set to be released this summer that we really want to see:  The Green Lantern, The new X-men, Harry Potter, Transformers (it’s supposed to be better) and Captain America.  These are just the ones we want to take the kids to. Then there is Bad Teacher, Hangover II, Horrible Bosses, and Larry Crowne that we’d like to see without the kids.  And these are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

To take all the kids to Super8 the total came to $88.00, not including dinner.  $52.00 for tickets and $36.00 for popcorn and soda at the movie.  This is insane! According to my calculations, if we see all of these movies in the theater we will spend close to $700.00 in less than two months on movies alone.  Now we aren’t going to do that, some are going to have to wait until they come out on DVD, but as I was adding this up in my head, I began to think it’s no wonder it’s getting harder and harder to pack a theater, it’s getting harder and harder on my wallet to pay a 900% markup on popcorn!

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Should Weiner step down because we don’t agree with him?

By on June 9, 2011 in Carbondale, Central St. Louis County, Columbia, Edwardsville, Pop Culture, South County, St. Louis City, West County

Why on earth would anyone run for politics these days?

weiner scandalAs of today Anthony Weiner hasn’t done anything that broke the law.  Was what he did stupid? Yes, he had to know what would happen if any of this got out.  It’s happened too many times for anyone to believe that this would not be made into a huge deal.

I don’t think it is cause for him to resign.  It really has nothing to do with his job.  His job is to legislate on behalf of his constituents. Sex is tricky, sexuality within a relationship is an even trickier subject.  What is acceptable to one person may seem totally insane to another.  What one couple finds perfectly acceptable of their partner someone else deems as cheating in a relationship.  I think there are very few of us who wouldn’t be embarassed if what knocks our socks off in private was publicly paraded around.  As of today there is no evidence of him soliciting prostitues, raping or forcing women, sending pictures to underage girls, physically cheating on his wife.  Was what he did acceptable, well……that’s really not for you or I to judge.  This is a private matter between him and his wife.  It is completely up to them to determine where the line is in their relationship and whether or not he crossed it.

I don’t vote based on whether or not someone has a family, or what religion they are, who they sleep with, if they are gay or orange.  I vote based on where someone says they stand on the issues that are most important to me and whether or not they vote and legislate in a way that backs that up.  I don’t even vote on what they personally believe.  As long as they stay within the law it really doesn’t matter to me what they do in their personal life as long as when it comes time to legislate they properly represent what the people who voted them into office want.

Photo courtesy of www.evri.com

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Easy, Easy, Mmm, Mmm Good!

By on May 9, 2011 in Columbia, Good Eats

There’s nothing tastier than a great stir-fry.  The only problem; I hate to cut up the vegetables and the meat.  Needless to say, I don’t have a great stir-fry as often as I should because I’m a little lazy after work.

Recently I found a frozen vegetable/potatoe mixture in the frozen food section of Wal-Mart that solved that problem.  Alexia Foods created all natural sides.  They have several different combinations of frozen vegetables, red potatoes, onions, and peppers with herb infused 100% olive oil.  Some of their other products include sweet potatoes, onion rings, mozzarella sticks and french fries, also all-natural and easy to cook.

I love their philosophy: make it simple and make it sing.  I take Turkey Link Sausage, cut it in small chunks and saute it with Alexia Foods Saute Reds creations.  Thyme infused Olive Oil with Mushrooms, Red Potatoes, Green Beans and Onions has become one of my favorite meals.  Best part about their products besides incredible taste: inexpensive, easy and fast.  I’m still lazy, but I’m eatin’ good thanks to Alexia Foods.

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